ALBA, Italy — Alba, a town in Italy’s Piedmont region, and Medford, Oregon, have taken a new step in their 66-year Sister-City relationship with the opening of the Alba Room at Medford City Hall, a space dedicated to celebrating the enduring bond between the two communities.

Inaugurated on October 12, the room features a mural tracing the history of the partnership through a timeline, set against images of Alba and the surrounding Langhe hills. Located on the third floor of City Hall, the space aims to keep the city’s shared history alive and strengthen their connection for future generations.

The partnership dates to 1960, at the height of the Cold War. Seeking to foster international friendships, President Dwight D. Eisenhower promoted the People-to-People initiative, which paired communities around the world with American cities. Alba, renowned for its white truffles, was matched with Medford because the two towns shared a similar latitude, population size and agricultural tradition.

On May 16, 1960, Alba’s City Council formally approved the Sister-City Agreement. The relationship took a remarkable step forward two years later, when the Mayors, J.W. Snider and O. Cagnasso, brought the two communities together for a pioneering scientific and technological event. On July 24, 1962, Alba and Medford connected by telephone through the Telstar communications satellite, an achievement that generated enormous excitement at a time when satellite technology was still in its infancy.

Since then, hundreds of residents have crossed the Atlantic to visit their counterparts. Alba named its main entrance square in Medford’s honor, while Medford dedicated a large park to its Italian Sister City.

The opening ceremony brought together local officials and representatives of the Sister-City associations, including Medford Mayor Michael Zarosinski and association Presidents Robin Snider and Luisella Vernone. Pino Dutto, Alba’s First Ambassador to Medford, and Davide Tibaldi, the Alba official responsible for Sister-City relations, joined remotely from City Hall in Alba.

More than six decades after their historic telephone connection, Alba and Medford continue to find new ways to bring their communities closer. The Alba Room stands as a reminder that a friendship born during the Cold War has outlasted its political moment, bridging an ocean and connecting generations through a shared commitment to international understanding.